Cliff Side Botanicals

Ground Ivy, Glechoma hederacea, Scotland, 2018
While some view ground ivy as a fast spreading nuisance weed (indeed, it sends out runners and keeping up with it is impossible), but it does have valuable medicinal qualities.  Wikipedipea has this to say:
"Glechoma hederacea has been used in the traditional medicine of Europe going back thousands of years: Galen recommends the plant to treat inflammation of the eyes. John Gerard, an English herbalist, recommended the plant to treat tinnitus, as well as a "diuretic, astringent, tonic and gentle stimulant. Useful in kidney diseases and for indigestion." It has also been used as a "lung herb".^[11] Other traditional uses include as an expectorant, astringent, and to treat bronchitis.^[12] The essential oil of the plant has been used for centuries as a general tonic for colds and coughs, and to relieve congestion of the mucous membranes.^{[citation needed]} In the traditional Austrian medicine the herb has been prescribed for internal application as salad or tea for the treatment of a variety of different conditions including disorders associated with the liver and bile, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, kidneys and urinary tract, fever, and flu."
My own anecdotal observation to the herb's effectiveness were evidenced 20+ years ago when my oldest son was quite young, around 4 or 5 years old, and complained that his throat hurt.  I looked down his throat and sure enough, it was inflamed and swollen.  It was a Sunday evening, almost bedtime, and a trip to the ER seemed extreme, so I went into the yard and collected a heaping handful of ground ivy and placed it in a pan, overed it with water, and brought it to a boil on the stove.  I allowed it to steep for a good twenty minutes, and cool.  Finally, I told my son to gargle with it.  Over and over he gargled and spit until I finally I told him to drink just a bit of it.  I then looked down his throat and the irritated red was gone, as was the swelling.  He said that his throat felt fine and I thought, hopefully we'll be good until morning...And when morning came his throat was still fine.  A very good treatment for a sore throat has been my experience with this herb.

What Worlds May Come

Glechoma hederacea, Ground Ivy, Pittsburgh, 2015


It's funny.  When I think of when, not if, we colonize other planets, I wonder what plants in particular we'll take with us.  Of course everything that we do take will be an alien, perhaps even invasive, species to this xenoworld.  I know that of course we will be taking things from Earth with us, whether on purpose or by accident (think rats on a ship, but more likely tiny seeds in an air duct, or even pollen on your eyelashes).  It's simply the nature of nature to hitch rides.
Ground Ivy, aka Creeping Charlie, official taxonomy Glechoma hederacea, was brought by colonists, probably on purpose, from Europe to North America specifically for medicinal reasons.  The herb is now ubiquitous in yards, fields, and wasteland over its range.  While not typically consumed by any variety of cattle because of its bitter taste, that very same bitterness it what gives it its value by herbalists.  I've taken ground ivy tea and it's horrible, but it does alleviate symptoms of a cough and cold.  There are other herbs I much more prefer (honeysuckle, heal all), but in a pinch I will turn to this because it's easy to find.  No amount of honey or whiskey added to ground ivy tea makes it any less loathesome, and there are reasons to be cautious with use of this herb as it contains two volatile oils, terpenoid and pulegon, that are can irritate the digestive tract, kidneys, and liver - though I've never experienced this (but in truth, I've never consumed much of the tea at any one time).
I don't recommend this herb, there are better alternatives such as heal all (aka self heal, Prunella vulgaris) being the most effective herb I have in my pantry.   Just a reminder:  Always use caution when collecting anything from the wild for medicinal or culinary purposes.  Know the dangers!